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7 browsers evaluated 6 facts compared Verified 2026-09-16

Best Arc browser alternatives

Arc alternatives should be selected by the part of Arc you actually use: sidebar navigation, spaces, vertical tabs, Chromium compatibility, or a calmer project lifecycle.

On this page:CriteriaRecommendationsEditorial viewAlternativesExclusionsSources
The BrowserPedia mascot standing in front of a spaces-and-sidebar workspace layout

Criteria used before recommendations

We establish rigorous boundary rules before selecting browsers. Every recommendation must satisfy these requirements:

  • Sidebar, vertical navigation, or workspace support
  • Rendering engine and extension migration cost
  • Platform availability
  • Project maturity and account assumptions

How the selections compare

Documented facts for each browser selected in Best Arc browser alternatives
Fact Zen BrowserVivaldiFloorpSigmaOS logoSigmaOS
Vertical tabsVertical tabs: Built inVertical tabs: Built inVertical tabs: Built inVertical tabs: Built in
WorkspacesWorkspaces: Built inWorkspaces: Built inWorkspaces: Built inWorkspaces: Built in
Split viewSplit view: Built inSplit view: Built inSplit view: Built inSplit view: Built in
Command paletteCommand palette: Built inCommand palette: Built inCommand palette: Built inCommand palette: Built in
WindowsWindows: AvailableWindows: AvailableWindows: AvailableWindows: Unavailable
Chrome Web StoreChrome Web Store: UnsupportedChrome Web Store: SupportedChrome Web Store: PartialChrome Web Store: Partial
Rows met 5/66/65.5/64.5/6

The final row counts how many of the six facts above each browser meets - a tally of what is shown, not a rating. A half counts a partial. Open any browser for the note and source behind a value.

Primary Selections

Recommendations

These selections were reviewed on 2026-09-16. They are recommendations for the stated criteria, not a universal ranking.

  1. Selection 01 of 04

    Reviewed 2026-09-16

    Zen Browser
    geckoactiveZen Browser contributors
    View profile

    Choose Zen for a Firefox foundation with a modern vertical-tab and workspace workflow, especially if Arc-like organization without Chromium is attractive.

    Status
    Actively developed and distributed as a beta with a fast-moving release process; verify current build support.
    Caveat
    Avoid it for conservative enterprise deployment, mobile coverage, or workflows that require a long-established release cadence.
    Against this guide 5/6
    Vertical tabs
    Vertical tabs: Built in
    Workspaces
    Workspaces: Built in
    Split view
    Split view: Built in
    Command palette
    Command palette: Built in
    Windows
    Windows: Available
    Chrome Web Store
    Chrome Web Store: Unsupported

  2. Selection 02 of 04

    Reviewed 2026-09-16

    Vivaldi
    chromiumactiveVivaldi Technologies
    View profile

    Choose Vivaldi for a highly configurable Chromium workflow with workspaces, tab stacks, tiling, and a sidebar.

    Status
    Actively developed across desktop and mobile platforms.
    Caveat
    Avoid it if minimal UI, strict engine independence, or a small set of browser opinions is more important than control.
    Against this guide 6/6
    Vertical tabs
    Vertical tabs: Built in
    Workspaces
    Workspaces: Built in
    Split view
    Split view: Built in
    Command palette
    Command palette: Built in
    Windows
    Windows: Available
    Chrome Web Store
    Chrome Web Store: Supported

  3. Selection 03 of 04

    Reviewed 2026-09-16

    Floorp
    geckoactiveFloorp Projects
    View profile

    Choose Floorp for a Firefox engine with more built-in tab layouts, split view, sidebars, and workspaces than stock Firefox.

    Status
    Actively developed community Firefox derivative.
    Caveat
    Avoid it when you need official mobile apps, a minimal browser, or the least project-specific surface area.
    Against this guide 5.5/6
    Vertical tabs
    Vertical tabs: Built in
    Workspaces
    Workspaces: Built in
    Split view
    Split view: Built in
    Command palette
    Command palette: Built in
    Windows
    Windows: Available
    Chrome Web Store
    Chrome Web Store: Partial

  4. Selection 04 of 04

    Reviewed 2026-09-16

    SigmaOS logo
    SigmaOS
    webkitactiveSigmaOS
    View profile

    Choose SigmaOS on a Mac if you think in tasks rather than tabs and will invest in learning a keyboard-first interface.

    Status
    Actively developed for macOS with a small team and a freemium model.
    Caveat
    Avoid it if you need Windows, Linux, or mobile, or if you want a browser that behaves the way every other browser behaves.
    Against this guide 4.5/6
    Vertical tabs
    Vertical tabs: Built in
    Workspaces
    Workspaces: Built in
    Split view
    Split view: Built in
    Command palette
    Command palette: Built in
    Windows
    Windows: Unavailable
    Chrome Web Store
    Chrome Web Store: Partial

Editorial view

Start by naming which part of Arc you actually use, because the four pieces people miss, a sidebar instead of a tab strip, spaces that separate contexts, split view, and a command bar, are not all available in one place.

The candidates

  • Zen is the closest living shape: the sidebar is the default chrome, workspaces switch contexts, and it brings Gecko and Linux support with it.
  • Vivaldi is the grown-up landing pad, with workspaces, tab stacks, tiling in place of split view, and Quick Commands, at the cost of a much denser interface.
  • Floorp is Firefox with Arc's organs attached, workspaces, split view, sidebars, and suits people who want to stay in the Mozilla extension ecosystem.
  • SigmaOS is the closest interaction clone on a Mac, where pages behave like tasks in a keyboard-driven list, provided you accept a macOS-only product.
  • Dia is the official successor from the same company and the right answer only if you want an AI-first browser rather than Arc's organisation model.

Before you switch

No alternative reproduces Arc's data model. Export bookmarks, list the extensions you depend on, and plan how spaces and pinned tabs will map before you switch.

Secondary Options

Alternatives

Why other browsers are not primary selections

Edge is excluded from the primary selections despite being widely suggested. It ships vertical tabs, Workspaces, and split screen, which covers roughly half of what people miss, but there is no spaces-quality separation and no command bar, so it reads as a mainstream browser that borrowed two Arc ideas rather than as a replacement. Stock Firefox is excluded for a related reason: it now ships vertical tabs and split view natively, but the spaces-style separation and command bar that make Arc feel like Arc are still not stock interface. Dia stays in the alternatives by product direction rather than immaturity: it is generally available on Apple silicon Macs and gained Spaces in mid-2026, but it is an AI-first product without Windows or Linux coverage rather than a like-for-like Arc successor.

Head to Head

Useful follow-up comparisons

Sources